Updated November 1, 2026 02:09PM
How we reported this: Senior Digital Editor Ali Nolan and Outside Run Contributor Derek Call are on the ground, reporting live from the finish line in Central Park. They’ve been on the ground all weekend — interviewing pros, talking runners, and (of course) petting spectating dogs.
On a perfectly crisp autumn morning in New York, a stellar elite field stood on the starting line of the New York City Marathon. The sun gleamed off the Verrazzano with temps in the upper 40s for both the men’s and women’s races.
What happened next? American history. An epic debut by a Swede. A gutsy Italian. Masters running glory. And that doesn’t even cover the 60,000 amateur entrants who were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the race course changing to cover the five boroughs.
If you missed the action, we’ve got you covered. Live from New York, here is (almost) everything that happened at the New York City Marathon.
Jess McClain kicks in the final 200 meters of the 2026 New York City Marathon. Photo: Derek Call McClain Places Second
At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Jess McClain missed making the Olympic team by 15 seconds. On Sunday, she continued her marathon revenge tour, making history by becoming the first American woman to podium in New York since Shalane Flanagan came in third in 2018.
The 34-year-old American from Arizona finished second at the New York City Marathon in 2:24:42, outkicking defending champion Hellen Obiri, who took third in 2:24:43.
All eyes were on McClain going into the race after she dropped a 2:20:49 at Boston in April, the fastest Boston ever run by an American woman.
Before the race, she told Outside Run that she often gets nervous until race weekend, when she lets the energy take over. Her attitude during the race is pretty zen: “I always stress that the mile you’re in that’s tough isn’t going to be that way forever.”
That worked perfectly since the middle of the race was a struggle for her, she told reporters afterwards. She wasn’t feeling her best. But she just kept pushing.
By the last 400 meters, she kept telling herself that no matter what, she was going to hammer it home. Obiri would say after the race that she didn’t realize McClain was on her heels because she was coming so fast in the final 200m. In the race’s final meters, McClain edged past Obiri to take home second place, just six seconds behind race winner Sheila Chepkirui.
Top Americans From 2016-2025
YearTop American MenTop American Woman2016Abdi Abdirahman, 3rd (2:11:23)Molly Huddle, 3rd (2:28:13)2017Abdi Abdirahman, 7thShalane Flanagan, 1st (2:26:53)2018Jared Ward, 6th (2:12:24)Shalane Flanagan, 3rd (2:26:22)2019 Jared Ward, 6th (2:10:45)Des Linden, 6th (2:27:51)2021Ben True, 7th (2:122:13)Molly Seidel, 4th (2:24:42)2022Scott Fauble, 9th (2:13:35) Aliphine Tuliamuk, 7th (2:26:18) 2023Futsum Zienasellassie, 10th (2:12:09)Kellyn Taylor, 8th (2:29:48)2024Conner Mantz, 6th (2:09:00)Sara Vaughn, 6th (2:26:56)2025Joel Reichow, 5th (2:09:56) Fiona O’Keeffe, 4th (2:22:49)
The men’s winner, Andreas Almgren. Photo: Derek Call A Debutant Wins the Men’s Race
Andreas Almgren said he’d rather blow up chasing the win than play it safe. In his first-ever marathon, he never had to choose. The 31-year-old from Sweden, who won the world half marathon title in a European-record 58:06 just six weeks ago, finished first in 2:06:01.
“If I finish eighth but I’m in the front group with 5K left and then I just completely blow up, I’m going to be more happy with that,” he said before the race. But the track star was still there at the end. Throughout the race, his strategy was to follow and cover moves rather than leading the race himself. It worked.
A lot of people wanted to know why this speedy 10K runner would choose New York as his first 26.2. The answer? He was inspired by last year’s marathon. After spectating that race, he texted his manager and said: “I want to do this next year.” Of course, his manager replied, “Are you sure?” What was a spontaneous interaction turned out to be a pretty good decision.
Forty-six year old Edna Kiplagat kicks to place fourth in the New York City Marathon. Photo: Derek CallKiplagat Still Putting Up Results at 46
If you’ve followed the sport for a while, you know that Edna Kiplagat, the 2010 New York City Marathon champion, is always a contender. But this year, it was at times incomprehensible to see her with the lead pack — at 46 years old — running stride for stride, sometimes running in the middle of the road, very much running a race apart from the other women.
In a year that saw both the Williams sisters make a comeback and Galen Rupp set the American masters record in Chicago, it seems that 40 is the new 30 and 46 is the new … well, if Kiplagat can throw down a 2:25:42, it’s certainly far from over the hill.
Photo: Courtesy of Roberta GronerAn American Master Crushes Her Goal
Speaking of getting better with age, American runner Roberta Groner, 48, who told Outside Run that she stepped away from the sport for more than 10 years after the passing of her stepbrother, achieved the incredible goal of running an Olympic Trials Qualifying time (sub-2:37) at the New York City Marathon: 2:35:55, placing 20th overall.
“Now that I’m reaching closer to 50, I still love running,” Groner said before the race. “I want to keep following this career journey through to see what I could do.”
Zouhair Talbi in Central Park at the 2026 New York City Marathon. Photo: Derek CallZouhair Talbi Is (Unsurprisingly) the Top American Man
Six months after running the fastest marathon ever by an American, Zouhair Talbi proved that Boston was no fluke. The 31-year-old American, who was born in Morocco and became a U.S. citizen last year after enlisting in the Army Reserve, finished sixth at the New York City Marathon on Sunday in 2:06:43, the top American in a deep U.S. field.
“At some point, you got to just forget who they are and just compete that day, because you never know who’s fit that day,” Talbi told Outside Run before the race when asked about his competition.
On Sunday, he was one of the fittest, for sure, but admitted he was frustrated by a slower pace than he wanted, which was the reason for his surges at the halfway point.
“My thought process was like, I might do a move, and someone will follow me, or two, and we’ll be like, okay, we’re gonna exchange the lead, and we’re gonna make it a fast pace,” he said from the press conference stage. While he didn’t regret mixing it up, he lamented that he didn’t feel as fresh as he would’ve liked to be toward the end of the race.
“When the move happened in the last three miles, I did not take the move as fresh as I wanted to, so I was already tired going with them,” he explained. “And they were just hanging in there the whole time, so I was not in control.”
Ahmed Muhumed runs his first marathon at the 2026 New York City Marathon. Photo: Derek CallDebut Success from an American “Made for the Marathon”
When we talked to U.S. athlete Ahmed Muhumed before the race, he said emphatically, “I am made for the marathon.” And to run a 2:07:09 in his first race, in New York, holding on to unpredictable surges, and working from within a deep pack, we have to agree. As the second American, coming in eighth overall, the joyful tactician has a bright marathon career ahead of him.
The American men continue to make strides, especially heading into 2028. While American Record Holder in the men’s marathon, Conner Mantz, had a rough race — saying he started feeling sick last Sunday and struggling through a marathon pace mile-repeat workout on Tuesday — we know when he’s in top form he will push the field even more. In addition to these three, be on the lookout for 29-year-old Ryan Ford, who was thrilled with his 2:07:09 10th place finish. He only feels like he will get more confident.
Carrie Ellwood battles through to the NYCM. Photo: Derek CallThe American Women Working Together
Jess McClain wasn’t the only American running at the front of the New York City Marathon. A total of four American women placed in the top 10. Several Americans, including Annie Friebee, Lauren Hagans, and Amanda Vestri, kept close to the leaders in the first half, when the pack was still running a conservative pace. Coming off the Queensboro Bridge, the women dropped a 5:24 mile and hit First Avenue’s wall of sound with McClain, Weini Kelati, Carrie Elwood, and Paige Wood shoulder to shoulder with the Kenyan women.
Elwood came into the race as an “underdog,” in her words. McClain was the favorite, and Kelati’s debut created all the buzz. But being underestimated, Ellwood says, is where she thrives. Her place as second American and sixth overall (2:26:28) definitely made a statement for 2028.